Managing Government Fleets With Whip Around

As of May 17th, 2018, streamlined efficient fleet management is a requirement for federal level government fleets, thanks to Executive Order E.O13834, issued by President Trump. The federal fleet is one of the largest in the world with 640,000 vehicles, managed by a host of agencies, executives, and departments. The USPS fleet alone consists of 200,000 vehicles. Section 3C of the order, under Implementations and Immediate Actions, lays out the new priorities for federal executives and agencies responsible for managing the massive federal fleet including the following directives:

How Whip Around Can Help

That sounds like a job for Whip Around (WA). Streamlined reporting and compliance have already made the Whip Around app an industry leader in the private sector, bringing versatile DVIR capability to commercial fleets around the world. With WA, inspections can be carried out anytime, anywhere, and reports are available for decision makers on demand.

Today's commercial fleet managers know that the real-time decision making capability that Whip Around provides is essential for staying ahead of fleet maintenance demands and rigorous DOT compliance requirements. WA is scaled, intuitive, and versatile, incorporating the convenience and familiarity of the smartphone with the Big Data analytical power of the cloud. WA improves fleet performance whether you're managing 6 vehicles or 640,000. WA can provide those same benefits for decision-makers responsible for fleets at all levels of government in the public sector as well.

Unique Challenges For Government Fleet Managers

Fleet management in government brings a variety of unique challenges which aren't faced by decision-makers responsible for fleet operations in the private sector. The centralized authority which is common in the commercial/industrial sector may be diversified in a government fleet administration structure. The typical chain of command found in government administration makes a streamlined workflow even more critical when vehicle faults are detected. In government fleet management structures, responsibilities for fuel expenses, vehicle maintenance, asset acquisition and replacement, fleet availability performance, and DVIR compliance may all be spread out across a broad range of individuals and various inter-agency departments. Whip Around provides the centralizing digital solution that keeps all parties involved on the same page. Leaderboards, team organization, delegation, and Big Data analytics are essential tools for optimizing any fleet's performance, and WA provides them all.

Cutting Red Tape With Whip Around

Without the advantages of digital transformation that advanced fleet management tools such as Whip Around provide, federal, state, county, and municipal government fleets can easily find themselves adrift in an ocean of administrative red tape. Out of date paper-based maintenance management practices for the smaller county or municipal fleets can shorten vehicle operating life-cycles and real-time informed fleet management is an impossibility. Budget restrictions at the county and municipal levels make efficient fleet management a priority even without an executive order from the president. DOT compliance alone can strain local government budgets just for the storage and clerical costs when fleet records must be archived for years.

At the federal level, modern but separate inter-departmental software can prove to be more of a burden than an advantage. Cost of ownership rises when fleet wide maintenance issues which could be easily detected and corrected with efficient DVIR (Daily Vehicle Inspection Reports) are impeded by miscommunications between the wide variety of non-integrated asset management software. This can cause common but minor vehicle maintenance problems to evolve into catastrophic vehicle failures. It's analogous to managing by the rear-view mirror, or the difference between putting out fires and preventing them from starting in the first place.

So how can government fleet managers at all levels benefit from the digital transformation that WA brings to the table?

DOT Compliance With Whip Around

The larger the fleet, the larger the compliance burden. For vehicles over 10,000 pounds, DVIRs are required by the DOT and must be filed whether faults are detected or not. DVIRs must be archived and if they're old school paper reports storage and the clerk who organizes these amassing files quickly add to fleet costs. With WA all DVIRs are stored digitally on the cloud, available on demand without the need to dig through stacks of paper reports. The WA software makes compliance a breeze, preventing DOT violations, providing an accessible audit trail, and reducing legal liability risk.

Reducing Fleet Maintenance Costs With DVIR

When inspections can be carried out with the convenience of the driver's smartphone inspections get done. Each driver has his own individual login so there's never any doubt about who carried out the DVIR or when. Time, date, and GPS stamps all provide a transparent digital record. When DVIR is easy and convenient faults can be flagged more reliably, and early indicators of maintenance issues can save fleets thousands of dollars. Drivers are able to add pictures and comments and forward this info to fleet managers who can take immediate action. Mechanics can be brought into the communication loop to prioritize vehicle repairs without delay. This is especially important when government fleets use leased vehicles and private maintenance providers need to take action.

About Whip Around

The Whip Around DVIR app is already a leader in digital transformation for large commercial fleets in the private sector. Government fleets can take advantage of WA to optimize vehicle performance and fleet operations with paperless inspections drivers and managers love. Alerts can be sent immediately after the inspection for prompt action that keeps the fleet rolling. Leaderboards and data analytics keep the fleet operating and within budget, providing the essential data required for vehicle acquisition and disposal decisions. Custom form building capabilities allow state and local level government fleets to use WA to manage off-road assets and heavy equipment along with the over the road fleet of buses, trucks, and government-owned or leased autos.

Best of all Whip Around is simple, user-friendly, and intuitive. WA can be deployed quickly and painlessly, and the software can convert government paper forms into digital format easily for a smooth transition. Teams can be managed at multiple locations, and maintenance reminders and reports are always routed to the right people to keep the fleet rolling. When you're ready to optimize your government fleet performance please don't hesitate to contact us.